New Sharon church buildings, property to be auctioned
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NEW SHARON — Longtime associates of the New Sharon Congregational Church are coming to terms with auctioning the place where they have worshiped, wed and watched their young children, grandchildren and wonderful-grandchildren become component of the congregation.
The church and an adjacent developing named the “little church,” and more than an acre of land at 21 Cape Cod Hill Street will be sold on internet site at 10 a.m. July 16. An open up home will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday.
Leona (Fitch) Carpentier, 70, of Vienna doesn’t want to consider about it. She attended the church as a youngster, was married there and has been a member for decades.
She remembers when she was about 4 a long time old she utilized to sit in a again pew with her spouse and children in the “big church” and swing her legs from time to time and hit the underside of the pew. Her mother would location her hand gently on her leg and Carpentier explained she knew it was time to halt.
Carpentier and her sister, Glenda (Fitch) Raymond, 67, of New Sharon grew up heading to the church. They were in the junior choir, the senior choir and associated in other church functions. Her kids also went to the church.
Dana Dill, 90, of New Sharon, originally from Phillips, and his late spouse, Jessie, were married in the church in 1956. He has been a member for about 50 yrs. His kids, grandchildren and great-grandchildren also attended.
The associates fondly recalled Vacation Bible College plans and Christmas pageants and sorted by way of some of the costumes continue to on the premises.
The church was recognized in 1801 and burned in 1843.
The brick church was developed in the late 1840s and put on the Nationwide Sign up of Historic Areas in 1985. The smaller church, which has seven rooms, was built in the early 1840s.
The pipe organ was installed in 1912 as a pump organ and afterwards electrified.
As membership dwindled, it obtained more durable and more challenging to retain the church going, Carpentier stated.
There are just 8 users still left.
For the past 10 years, members have taken turns major products and services simply because there was no pastor.
“We are not dissolving,” Raymond claimed. “We basically didn’t have the folks to retain the properties or spend a minister.”
“Everyone wears as lots of hats as essential,” Carpentier said.
Dill is a deacon, Carpentier is the clerk and Raymond is the treasurer.
Carpentier, Raymond, Dill and other folks labored tricky to keep the church heading and fork out the bills. Dill’s son, David Dill, has aided manage the structures, Raymond mentioned.
They held baked bean takeout meals that drew up to 70 at a time and aided with finances. When the pandemic strike, they had to quit.
Raymond claimed the Rev. Marcia Charles, a previous pastor, explained to members “we hadn’t failed but we done our mission.”
“It is a challenging decision,” Raymond claimed.
Customers held numerous meetings starting off in Might 2021 and signed an arrangement with Adrian Harris Genuine Estate, Appraisals and Auctions to provide the property this earlier fall.
Carpentier mentioned proceeds from the sale will go to charities, the Maine Convention of the United Church of Christ, or possibly a combination.
“It is quite unfortunate. This is not quick,” she reported.
“It is really difficult,” Raymond additional. “It has been really a course of action.”
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